Heat the oil in a large frying pan and fry the mushrooms, soya beans, corn andpepper for 3-4 minutes. Add the curry paste and fry for 2-3 minutes. Stir in thepak choi and fry for 2 minutes. Add the coconut cream and fish sauce, simmerfor 1-2 minutes.Meanwhile, cook the rice according to the pack and garnish with the sesameseeds if using. Serve with the vegetable stir fry.

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Ingredients

Scottish Chilli Oil

It was a really tasty stir-fry and the rice was delicious, full of flavour and no artificial taste at all. Ideal if you are in a hurry or want something really flavourful without too much time in the kitchen.

The Songkran festival (Thai: สงกรานต์, Khmer: សង្រ្កាន្ត; from the Sanskrit word saṃkrānti,[1] or literally "astrological passage") is celebrated in Thailand as the traditional New Years Day from 13 to 15 April. It coincides with the New Year of many calendars of South and Southeast Asia.

The date of the festival was originally set by astrological calculation, but it is now fixed. If these days fall on a weekend, the missed days off are taken on the weekdays immediately following. Songkran falls in the hottest time of the year in Thailand, at the end of the dry season. Until 1888 the Thai New Year was the beginning of the year in Thailand; thereafter 1 April was used until 1940. 1 January is now the beginning of the year. The traditional Thai New Year has been a national holiday since then.

Songkran has traditionally been celebrated as the New Year for many centuries, and is believed to have been adapted from an Indian festival. It is now observed nationwide, even in the far south. However, the most famous Songkran celebrations are still in the northern city of Chiang Mai, where it continues for six days and even longer. It has also become a party for foreigners and an additional reason for many to visit Thailand for immersion in another culture. (source Wikipedia)

See what the Thai people get up to for their New Year celebrations:

Songkran festival: new year in Thailand and Myanmar marked with water fights

Wednesday, May 21, 2014

This soup comes from the "My Kitchen Cafe" blog. She has a lot of tasty recipes and this one was definitely a winner! (She also happens to be my brother-in-laws cousin). It has a little bit of a kick to it and it has tons of flavor. Ive made it twice now and it was delicious both times. I also found a yummy cornbread recipe from Martha Stewart to go with it. Both were really easy and super delicious. (My picture is lame, but it really is good). Yum!

In a large saucepan, saute chicken, onion and garlic powder in oil until chicken is no longer pink. Add beans, broth, chilies and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Remove from the heat; stir in sour cream and cream. Makes about 6 servings. (Or 4 if youre really hungry).

Melt butter. Stir in sugar. Add eggs quickly and beat until well blended. Combine buttermilk with baking soda and stir into other mixture. Stir in cornmeal, flour, and salt until well blended and few lumps remain. Bake in greased 8x8 pan at 375 degrees for 30-40 min.Originally posted 11/17/09

This is one good way to get your family to eat their vegetables - with Black Bean, Zucchini and Wheat Berry Tacos drizzled with a Garlic-Lemon Yogurt. MaMas friend Michelle was raving about this recipe, found in Appetite for Reduction, in fact she served it for lunch one day when MaMa and I were visiting. MaMa knew it would be delicious with Wheat Berries added to the mix.

Directions: Preheat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the zucchini, wheat berries and onion to the oil and sprinkle with salt. Saute for about 7 minutes, until the zuchinni is lightly browned. Add the garlic and spices and saute for another 2 minutes.

Add the salsa verde and black beans. Cook for 5 more minutes.

Place tortillas in a moist paper towel and heat in a microwave for 1 minute on high. Serve with the Garlic-Lemon Yogurt (below).

Garlic-Lemon Yogurt:

1 c greek yogurt

3 cloves garlic

zest from 1/2 lemon

juice from 1 lemon (about 3 Tbs)

1/2 tsp honey

Scoop the yogurt into a small bowl. Use a microwplace to grate the garlic and lemon zest. Add the lemon juice and agave. Using a fork, mix well. Spoon over your tacos and enjoy!

Dinner time! Enjoy your Black Bean, Zucchini and Wheat Berry Tacos.

This recipe was adapted from one found in Appetite for Reduction. Yes, MaMa took a vegan recipe and made it non-vegan by using honey...just replacethe honey with agave nectar to make it vegan again. And yes, Im a smart 2 year old!

Sunday, May 18, 2014

The apartment that I lived in Ankara was on the first floor of one of those old 4 story buildings with just two apartments on each floor and a back yard that the residents didnt care about. A month after the move I remembered there was a back yard and looked over to check it out. Among the things that you can find in the back yards of apartment buildings in Turkey are gazebos, junk, flower beds, people playing "okey," a tile-based game similar to Rumikub, or people drinking tea and eating sunflower seeds. Therefore, I was quite surprised when I saw collard greens in my buildings back yard. And I am not talking about two or three plants here; I am talking about endless rows and rows of collard greens. Collard greens is an indispensable component of the Black Sea cuisine in Turkey, and it is difficult to find them outside that province. So I immediately knew there was a homesick Karadenizli (a person from Black Sea) in the building who apparently had a big craving for collard greens. I was right; our concierge Pakize was from Trabzon and capable of consuming a back yard worth of collard greens with her husband in 2-3 months.

The discovery of garden of collard greens intrigued me to cook with them. The next winter I borrowed a bunch of collard greens time to time from Pakize and made collard greens soup based on her instructions. Later, I had this soup a couple of times at different seafood restaurants, but they were not even close to Pakizes recipe. This soup, a specialty of Black Sea, is just perfect for cold winter nights. It has greens, beans, and corn in it; what else can you ask for?

-A night before, put beans in a pot with 3 cups of water. First bring to a boil, then turn it off. Cover and soak overnight.-The next day cook the beans until soft. (Or use 1 can of beans)-Wash collard greens well, discard bad leaves and leaf tops. Chop the stems finely. Cut the leaves first into stripes, then into edible-size squarish pieces.-Boil 7-8 cups of water in a big pot.-Add collard greens and cracked corn into the boiling water. Cook until soft: ~20-25 minutes.-Add beans.-Add corn flour and keep stirring constantly while adding it to prevent lumping.-Turn the heat to low-medium and cook for almost half an hour to let the soup thicken stirring every 3-45 minutes.-Heat butter in a small pan. When its hot but nit burning, add paprika. Let sizzle for a couple of seconds.-Serve the soup with a spoon or two of butter and paprika on top.

Thursday, May 15, 2014

This quick and dirty video recipe for grilled romaine hearts was shot on location at Tanimura & Antle, a family-owned lettuce farm we toured as part of the Get to Know a California Farmer field trip Michele and I just returned from in Carmel, CA.

The event was to introduce their website and, as the name implies, help us get to know a farmer, and thats what we did. We got a fascinating look into how lettuce gets from their farm to your table. Brian Antle, the farm’s Harvest Manager, ran the tour, and it was a joy to hear him talk with such pride about what his and the Tanimura family had created from this land.

After the tour we were treated to a wonderful lunch showing off some of the farm’s famous foliage. The grilled romaine salad you’ll see in the video was a big hit, but we also had some beautiful pizzas, as you can see below. It always feels special to eat produce that was just picked hours before.

You’ll also see a short video I did showing how the lettuce goes from dirt to final packaging on this slow-rolling mobile processing plant. You’ll have to pardon the dirty lens, as I hadn’t planned on filming in the field, and never checked it. I believe the smudge is gumbo, but there’s really no way to tell for sure. Dont let that deter you, or youll miss a cameo by social media guru, Jay Baer, on a bed of lettuce.

After lunch we got to tour Naturipe Farms, one of the largest berry producers in the state. Our guide, Tom, did a great job of explaining all the challenges that go into growing berries, especially strawberries. I learned that organic doesnt mean that no pesticides are used. They just need to be certified pesticides, and are often the same ones used in conventional farming. The highlight for me was his explaining how fish meal is regularly used to fertilize organic strawberries, unbeknownst to most vegans we assumed.

Anyway, it was a really fun trip, and I want to thank Adfarm and Get to Know a California Farmer for inviting us. Also, huge thanks to the farmers who shared their stories and delicious products with us. For more information on Get to Know a California Farmer, please check out their website! Its a fantastic way to connect directly with the people growing the food you put on your tables every day.

They’re also running a sweepstakes on the Facebook page where you could win $10,000 worth of groceries. It’s only open to California residents, and ends soon, so get over there and check it out. Enjoy!

Tuesday, May 13, 2014

Can you believe Ive never owned a black bag before? I mean, big red hair, a loud mouth, and a general disregard for "blending in" dont exactly lend themselves to the understated. In my history of purse and bag ownership, Ive had hot pink, gold, bronze, tan, pony print, and even brown. So when I laid my eyes on this gorgeous clutch by Gigi New York, I decided if I was gonna class it up and get a black bag in my lifetime, now was the time.

Everything about this bag is special: the buttery yellow box it arrives in...

...the suede tassel and gold hardware zipper pull...

...the supple leather lining interior...

...the fact that it can be monogrammed--and match your nails!...

...and the fact that you can score 20% off your Gigi New York purchase with a special offer exclusive to CupcakesOMG! readers!!!!

Thats right folks, the "fine leatha goods" retailer is offering a 20% discount to all of you on any purchase at their website for the next 30 days! To take advantage, simply use the promo code "OMG" at checkout.And this is why my new clutch is this weeks Friday Fun Find--and now its yours too!

So, what color clutch are you gonna get? And are you doing monogramming??

Monday, May 12, 2014

A splendid and hearty morning sandwichto take with you on those busy mornings working, fishing,hunting, or just any time when you and your children are on-the-run - Its great warm,although wonderful at room temperature too...

In a small non-stick skillet over medium heat, brown the bacon, and drain on a paper towel lined plate, reserving a bit of drippings. Reduce the heat to low, and gently fry the egg with the broken yolk.

Meanwhile, place the bread in the toaster. When toast is done, spread one side of each with mayonnaise, and layer the bacon, lettuce, tomato, cheese, and egg on top of one slice of toast. Sprinkle fried egg with sea salt and ground pepper, to taste. Add the other slice of toast. – Enjoy!

Whisk the eggs, sugar, and rum together in the insert part of a double boiler. Heat over simmering water, being sure that the bottom of the insert does not touch the water, using a rubber spatula to stir constantly and scrape down splashes on the inside of the insert, until the mixture is hot, thickened, and opaque and reaches 160 degrees on an instant-read thermometer. Turn off the heat and stir for 1 minute longer. Remove the insert from the pot. Add the vanilla. Beat with an electric mixer set on high speed until the mixture is cooled and tripled in volume, about 3 minutes. (The mixture should form peaks when you remove the mixer.) A few tablespoons at a time, beat in the mascarpone. Do not over beat.

Have 9-inch-square baking dish ready to hold the tiramisù. Mix the coffee and liqueurs together in a wide, shallow bowl. One at a time,quickly dip 16 ladyfingers in the coffee mixture (do not soak them),and place side-by-side to line the bottom of the baking dish. Spread with half of the mascarpone mixture, then sprinkle with half of the chocolate. Repeat with the remaining ladyfingers (discard the remaining coffee mixture), mascarpone, and top with chocolate. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, at least 4 hours or overnight. Spoon into bowls and serve chilled.

Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Gently place apricots in water and allow to simmer for 1 minute.Transfer the apricots from the boiling water to the cold water.

When cool enough to handle, using a pairing knife, peel the skin off of the apricots.

Cut them into a dice and set aside to cool. Then fold em in flour. Mine came out mushy because I boiled em after I took out the seed. Boil first take seed out later:)

Place flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt in large bowl. Whisk together until thoroughly combined.

Using a box grater, grate the cold butter into the flour mixture.

Working quickly, and using your hands, mix the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles a coarse meal.

Measure out the buttermilk in a measuring cup and add the egg; beat until combined.

Gently stir in apricots, being sure to coat them in the flour mixture.

Pour in the buttermilk and mix until the dough begins to form, about 30 seconds.

Transfer dough and all dry, floury bits to a liberally floured countertop and knead dough by hand just until it comes together into a rough, slightly sticky ball, 5 to 10 seconds. Pat the scones flat to a 1-inch thickness.

Cut the scones into 8 wedges or you can use a biscuit cutter. Place the scones on a parchment-lined baking sheet. I used a Non-Stick Dehydrator Sheets.

I made 2 batches. Transfer the baking sheet to the hot oven and bake until scones are light brown, 12 to 15 minutes.